Rita Clay Estrada
Personal Information
Description
Rita Clay was born on 31 July 1941 in Michigan, U.S.A.. Her mother was a former Miss Michigan, while her father was a U.S. Air Force pilot. She spent much of her early years living in Europe. Rita married very young with her high school sweetheart, and she stayed at home to raise their four children. In 1977, when she had been married about 20 years, her husband brought her a typewriter and said, "'You said you always wanted to write. Now write." She and her mother, Rita Gallagher, accepted the challenge. While beginning to write, they learned how to publish books and made great friendships with other writers. Rita's first attempt of publication was a long historical romance which was promptly rejected. Her next manuscript, a contemporary romance, was like wise rejected. But her third manuscript, Wanderer's Dream, was sold to Silhouette Books. She used her maiden name, Rita Clay for her titles for Silhouette. In 1982, she moved to Dell to write for their Candlelight Ecstasy line and she wrote as Tira Lacy, an anagram of Rita Clay, because Harlequin owned her pen name. In 1985 she resigned from Harlequin and asked to use her fullname, Rita Clay Estrada, on all future books. Rita, her mother, and 35 other authors, decided that an association was needed to defend their published members. They founded the Romance Writers of America (R.W.A), that years later persuaded Harlequin books to register copyrights for authors' works and to allow writers to own their own pseudonyms. Previously, the authors were forced to leave their pseudonym behind if they switched publishing houses, making it more difficult fortheir fans to follow. R.W.A. signature award, the RITA, which is the highest award of excellence given in the genre of romantic fiction, is named after her. The R.W.A. also awarded Estrada their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.
Books
The best things in life
The man was overwhelming! Honey Carter was aghast to find a three-year-old abandoned in her van, the victim of an attempted kidnapping. But she was really surprised when the child's father came to claim her. Single parent Beau McGuire was also the lead hunk in Tomorrow's Promise, the nation's hottest soap! Country-bred, practical Honey didn't know what to make of this out going city boy. But Beau proved to be warm, sincere...and totally seductive. He aroused her as no man ever had. She almost forgot all the reasons why they shouldn't become lovers...
A Little Magic
In a moment of weakness, Marissa Madison and Adam Pierce tumbled into bed together. For Marissa, it was love. For Adam, it was depression and too much alcohol. Three months later, they meet again when Marissa must tell him she's pregnant. Adam is shocked, but soon tries to take over her life. It isn't long before Adam wants Marissa in his life forever.
Blissful
Blissful, Texas, was on its way to becoming a ghost town when Kathleen O'Day created an ingenious scheme: stage enough mock shoot-outs to make people believe that Blissful had become a haven for gunmen, and visitors would flock to see it. But the daring beauty never dreamed that the town's false reputation would attract a true outlaw-until she found herself cornered by a darkly handsome bounty hunter.Charlie Macon was hellbent on bringing his best friend's killer to justice, but he never thought that would include taking a beautiful woman hostage. He wanted to believe that Kathleen had never heard of Vic Mathers, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she had something to hide. Now, with each passing day, Charlie finds his suspicions giving way to a sensual surrender that was slowly leading to the most heavenly love...
Too Wicked To Love
Author Rita Clay Estrada returns to Texas-this time the up-and-coming town of Clearwater-where two second-class citizens are about to discover a first-class love... The lowborn son of an English Earl, Benjamin Drake is exceedingly handsome, with a smile to melt glaciers-everything his twin brother Anthony is...except rich. Denied a heritage and a legacy, he's come to Clear Creek, Texas to inform his brother that their father is dead and he must return to England as heir. And it doesn't take long to find Anthony...in the midst of seducing a very lovely shopkeeper named Sarah Hornsby... Recently widowed Sarah is unlike any woman Ben has ever known. Her unassuming manner hides an intriguing independent streak revealed in her struggles to succeed on her own terms. Recognizing a kindred spirit, Ben stays in town to make his fortune-and win Sarah's love. But now that his heart is at stake, the once devil-may-care twin is keenly aware of how much he has to lose. Vowing to keep his intentions secret until he deems himself worthy of her affections, Ben fails to realize that Sarah's heart is his for the asking-and that he's wasting precious time by delaying his claim...
Twice Loved
A Heart Divided... LAURA. Five long years ago, lovely Laura Dalton waited on the bleak Nantucket shore for the day her beloved husband Rye would return ... and then she learned his ship was lost at sea. DAN. Rye's closest friend. And for Laura, Dan was a shining beacon to light the dark hours ... a father to her baby... a husband to a grateful widow. It was a second chance for Laura. But who could foretell that a wind-roughened sailor with sun-bleached hair would anchor again in a port that had given him up to the briny deep? That Laura's heart could betray her soul? For Rye had come home again ...
To have and to hold
A stirring saga of a nurse who only wants to do her duty in World War Two – and who ends up having to make an agonising choice. Set in Ireland and Birmingham, this is the latest from emerging star of the genre Anne Bennett.Carmel Duffy is the eldest child of a brutal and abusive marriage, and she can't wait to leave home. She's equally determined to have no husband or children of her own – what she wants more than anything is to be a nurse. As soon as she turns eighteen, she heads for Birmingham and begins her training.With her beautiful auburn curls, she draws plenty of attention and her resolve to concentrate on her career is tested when Dr Paul Connolly comes onto her ward and into her life. Gradually he wins her heart, and they agree to marry, both certain that they want no children. They have valuable jobs to do – all the more so when World War Two looms. But those years will change everything: their relationship, their priorities, their very characters. Carmel will find that the future is very different to the one she thought she wanted for so long...
Love Me, Love My Bed
He was the missing half of her wildest fantasy... Beth McGruder's new bed was everything she'd imagined in her secret, wanton dreams - wildly sensual, opulent, ostentatious, luxurious. But it have arrived with something extra... She now had a king-size monstrosity - some playboy's dream - in her spare room. She also had its owner on her hands, and he was anxious to take possession. Duke McGregor was one formidable man. He probably could have slept fine on the floor of his condo. But Beth had a soft heart, a burning need...and his bed...indefinitely.
The Best Things in Life (Western Lovers
Honey Carter was aghast to find a three-year-old abandoned in her van, the victim of an attempted kidnapping. But she was really surprised when the child's father came to claim her. Single parent Beau McGuire was also the lead hunk in Tomorrow's Promise, the nation's hottest soap! Country-bred, practical Honey didn't know what to make of this outgoing city boy. But Beau proved to be warm, sincere...and totally seductive. He aroused her as no man ever had. She almost forgot all the reasons why they shouldn't become lovers...
Something To Treasure
She vowed never to be burned again – Men! To Brenda Hunt they were all alike – selfish, egocentric boors. And who had time for them, anyway? A single parent, Brenda had three children to raise, a house to run, a job to keep. Leo Coulter was an especially maddening case – wealthy, devastatingly handsome, completely sure of his own attractiveness. His persistent attentions puzzled Brenda, infuriated her – and awakened a hunger that had been dormant for years...
Second to None
Great Britain - history. Naval, 19th century fiction.
EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM
SHE WANTED THE REAL THING, NOT THE RIGHT THING... As a counselor for pregnant teens, Elizabeth Gallagher was forever lecturing about responsibility and safe sex. But when dynamic, darkly handsome Ben Damati came into her life--and her bed--she wasn't thinking about her own teachings. There was something about him--everything about him--that made her throw caution to the wind ... with disastrous results. He was willing--no, determined--to do the "right" thing and marry her but Elizabeth loved him too much to say yes.
Bedazzled
I wanted Tania. She was light. She was the lynchpin that kept me from flying into madness. My father taught Maksim and me with fists and cruelty that we were not allowed to want anything more than the life we were born into. When I was kidnapped and tortured by a rival Mob, I came out of it a different man. I was a fool. I'm covered in scars and now I truly see my place in the Morozov Bratva. There's no room there for happiness. There's no room there for her. But I can't let her go.
A woman's choice
He was a sucker for a pretty face. Sam Lewis, attorney-at-law, was immediately attracted to Catherine Sinclair- despite her lethal reputation with men. The blond, blue-eyed siren had tearfully requested his help...and soon devastated him with her sensuous appeal. But Sam's feelings for Catherine ran deep - beyond merely protecting her from a very real threat. He wanted her in his life, in his bed. And he wanted her in spite of her questionable past... (The second book in the Will and the Way series)